Level.



W. L. COUTURE.

LEVEL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27. 1911.

1,024,881. y l Patented Apr. so, 1912.

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WITNESSES INVENTOFi UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM L. COUTURE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-TENTI-I TO ZOVALDA MOORE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

LEVEL.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

Application led July 27, 1911. Serial No. 640,818.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. COUTURE, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Levels, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improve* ments in levels of the class in which there is provided an indicating tube containing a bubble, the object of the invention being to provide such a level in which breakage of said tube by reason of sudden shock or jar will be avoided, and in which said tube may be easily adjusted to maintain it accurately in the correcty position.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a top plan view of my improved level; Fig. 2 is a side view thereof; Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section thereof; Fig. 4l is an enlarged broken top plan view; Fig. 5 is an enlarged broken bottom plan view.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates the body of the level, having in the top thereof a longitudinal recess 2, in which is a longitudinal rectangular casing 3, having a bottom et and parallel sides 5, in which casing is secured, in the manner hereinafter described, a glass tube 6, formed, as usual, in an arc of a large circle, said tube containing liquid and having the usual bubble therein. To one end of said casing is secured one end of a coiled spring 7 extending longitudinally in said recess, the other end of which is secured to a screw 8 screwed into the corresponding end of said recess. The other end of a casing 3 for the tube is depressed by a coiled spring 9, the upper end of which presses against the under side of a plate l() secured in the top of the body of the level and having a suitable aperture 11 through which to observe the bubble in the tube. To adjust the elevation of said latter end of the casing, and therefore also 'to maintain the general direction of the tube parallel with the level, there is provided a long screw 12, which is screwed through the bottom of the level, and the point of which abuts against the under side of the casing 3. By screwing said screw inward, the adjacent end of the tube is raised relatively to the level against the'pressure of the spring 9, and by unscrewing said screw the spring 9 is allowed to depress said end to the extent limited by the abutment thereagainst of the screw. To maintain said screw in the position of adjustment there are provided two set screws 13, which are screwed into the body of the level, so as to pass through recesses 14 in the head of the screw, when the latter has been screwed to its adjusted position. Said set screws are covered by a plate 15 screwed to the body of the level.

20 indicates a recess formed in the body of the level in which is contained a casing 21 for a transverse bubble tube 22, said casing having a central aperture 23, and the body of the level being formed on one side with a corresponding aperture 24, and on the other side closed by a plate 26. Said plate has an aperture 25, and through said apertures 23, 24, and 25 the position of the bubble in the tube 22 can be observed. Said casing is, in like manner as the former casing, secured at one side to one end of a coiled spring 28, the other end of which is secured to a screw 29 screwed into the body of the level. At the other side it is provided with a lip 30 against which presses one end of a coiled spring 31, the other end pressing against the top of the recess 20, while for the purpose of adjustment ofv said casing, to maintain the accuracy of its position in the level, there is provided a long screw 32 screwed through the body of the level, and with its point abutting on the side of said lip 30 opposite to the screw 29. Set screws 33 are provided, in like manner as previously explained, to maintain the screw 32 in the position to which it is moved, said set screws being covered by a plate 34.

The following is the manner in which I secure the ends of the glass tubes'to the casings. I first surround an end of a tube thereof with a sheet 35 of soft rubber, the effect of which is to prevent the glass tube from moving relatively to its supports, I then wrap line copper wire 36 around the sheet of soft rubber a sufficient number of times and secure together the ends of the wire. I then solder the copper to the casing. In the latter operation the heat of the solder softens the .rubber and cements it to the wire. The rubber sheet preserves the bubble tube from cracking during the operation of the soldering.

I claim 1. In combination with a body of a level, a bubble tube, a casing therefor, and a coiled spring, the aXis of which is in line with the casing, one end of which is secured to said casing and t-he other end to the level body, the casing being otherwise free at the end connected to said spring.

2. The combination with the body of a level, of a bubble tube, a casing for said tube, a coiled spring secured to an end of said casing and supported at the other end by the body of the level, the axis of said spring being in line with the casing, and a coiled spring extending transversely to the casing and secured between the other end of said casing and the body of the level.

3. The combination with a body of a level having a recess, of a casing in said recess, a bubble tube in said casing, an adjusting screw abutting against a portion of said casing, and locking means for preventing the displacement of said adjusting screw.

it. The combination with a body of a level having a recess, of a casing in said recess, a bubble tube in said casing, an adjusting screw abuttingagainst a port-ion of said casing, the head of the screw having a recess, and a screw screwed into said body, and passing through said recess to prevent the adjusting screw from turning, said body having a recess to receive the head of the screw, said recess being of greater depth than t-he thickness of said head, whereby the head is protected from accidental displacenient.

5. In a level, in combination, a bubble tube, a sheet of soft rubber surrounding an end ot' said tube, a casing, copper wire surrounding said sott rubber, and solder connecting said wire to the casing.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set iny hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM L. ooUrURE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for vc cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 1). C. 

